The concept of "fair value" marked a major departure from traditional cost accounting. In theory, under this approach a balance sheet that better reflects the current value of assets and liabilities. Critics of fair value argue that it is less useful over longer time frames and prone to distortion by market inefficiencies resulting in procyclicality in the financial system by exacerbating market swings. Comprising contributions from a unique mixture of academics, standard setters and practitioners, and edited by internationally recognized experts, this book, on a controversial and intensely debated topic, is a comprehensive reference source which: examines the use of fair value in international financial reporting standards and the US standard SFAS 157 Fair Value Measurement, setting out the case for and against looks at fair value from a number of different theoretical and practical perspectives, including a critical review of the merits and arguments against the use of fair value accounting explores fair value accounting in practice, involvement in the Great Financial Crisis, implications for managerial reporting discretion, compensation and investment This volume is an indispensable reference that is deserving of a place on the bookshelves of both libraries and all those working in, studying, or researching the areas of international accounting, financial accounting and reporting.

The concept of "fair value" marked a major departure from traditional cost accounting. In theory, under this approach a balance sheet that better reflects the current value of assets and liabilities. Critics of fair value argue that it is less useful over longer time frames and prone to distortion by market inefficiencies resulting in procyclicality in the financial system by exacerbating market swings. Comprising contributions from a unique mixture of academics, standard setters and practitioners, and edited by internationally recognized experts, this book, on a controversial and intensely debated topic, is a comprehensive reference source which: examines the use of fair value in international financial reporting standards and the US standard SFAS 157 Fair Value Measurement, setting out the case for and against looks at fair value from a number of different theoretical and practical perspectives, including a critical review of the merits and arguments against the use of fair value accounting explores fair value accounting in practice, involvement in the Great Financial Crisis, implications for managerial reporting discretion, compensation and investment This volume is an indispensable reference that is deserving of a place on the bookshelves of both libraries and all those working in, studying, or researching the areas of international accounting, financial accounting and reporting.

For at least two decades, it was believed that making managers into owners could ameliorate many agency conflicts existing in capital markets settings. In fact, it now appears that managerial ownership of stock itself may encourage earnings manipulations. In this study, we show that CEO insider trading, earnings manipulations, and the ability to meet and exceed market benchmarks are all interrelated. Managers manipulate earnings to exceed analyst earnings forecasts. Additionally, managerial insider selling increases with performance relative to analyst forecasts, and is magnified by stock option holdings. Insider selling is more intense among managers who have used earnings manipulations to exceed forecasts. Additionally, managers who sell following the announcement of an earnings surprise are able to earn abnormal profits. Firms having both positive earnings surprises and insider selling exhibit lower subsequent accounting performance. This study is of interest to academics, practitioners who are interested in the finer mechanisms of markets, and advanced finance students, alike.